Postdoc Position in Neuroscience

Title: Synaptic Connectivity and Plasticity of Visuo-Motor Cortical Circuits

• The Rossi Lab invites applications for a postdoctoral position at the Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems (CNCS), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rovereto (Italy).
• The successful candidate will investigate the synaptic connectivity and plasticity of cortical circuits underlying adaptive visual processing and visually guided behaviour, using the mouse model.

Role summary

• The postdoctoral researcher will study the connectivity and plasticity of circuits linking visual and motor cortical areas. The project combines:
  • development of novel visually guided behavioral tasks
  • two-photon imaging, including dendritic and synaptic imaging
  • connectivity mapping with viral tracing and optogenetics

 

• The goal is to determine how computations at the level of dendrites, local circuits, and inter-areal communication contribute to learning new visuo-motor associations.

  The postholder will:

• lead and execute independent research projects; present findings at international conferences; contribute to writing manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals; provide training and supervision to PhD and Master’s students.

  Host Lab

• The Functional Architecture of Neural Circuits Lab aims to understand how the specialised activity of individual neurons and brain areas emerges from the architecture of their synaptic connections, how gene expression predisposes their organisation, and how plasticity enables learning.
• To address these questions, we study the neural architectures underlying adaptive visual processing and visually guided behaviour in mice, combining approaches from systems neuroscience, physiology, anatomy, and molecular biology to link function, connectivity, and gene expression across scales.
• More information: https://rossilab.iit.it/

Research environment and training:

• The Rossi lab is a co-founder and supporter of the SAFE Labs network. Details on the lab culture and policies can be found here.
• The researcher will join a growing diverse, multidisciplinary and collegial group, and will be offered direct training, supervision and mentorship from the principal investigator. They will be also encouraged to attend top international workshops and courses, as well as training provided within IIT and our partners at University of Trento.
• The IIT-CNCS in Rovereto is located in the Trentino region, nested between lake Garda and the Dolomite mountains, offering easy access to spectacular natural beauty, mountaineering, skiing and exceptional quality of life.